Official NBA Finals thread

[fever_dog]

NBA will force it to seven games (as will the NHL finals). The grand conspiracy against soccer in this country will make it so.

just like they forced the conference finals to seven games.

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

Hate to see "Ron Jeremy" and "spurted" in the same sentence.

 

[farmerjerome]

Aren't the Eastern finals still going on? [/cluelessabouttheNBA]

Nope, Miami's in FarmerJ.

That sentence needs a comma someplace.

Well played. What would Dr. J think?

He'd think it was funny.

 

[DyePack]

This could be a very entertaining series. I'm looking forward to it.

Of course, it's being played in June, when the chances of staying in and watching hoops are slim to none.

 

[GimpyScribe]

[rant]If there's any justice in this world at all, Shaquille O'Neal won't win another title. I'm sorry, but I can't stand the phony a-hole. Here you have a guy who signs two contracts with the Lakers for a maximum deal and then yells at Jerry Buss during a game ''Pay Me!!!!!!''
Shaq, a team player, also told the L.A. media that ''If they don't feed the big dog (the ball), he's not gonna guard the house (play defense).''

And most fans and media think it's cute cuz Shaq is big and cuddly. I can't imagine if Kobe Bryant had said either of those things. Think he's hated now? He'd probably be tried and quartered.

So, then Shaq demands a 3-year, $90 million contract from the Lakers two years ago. Nevermind the fact he was in his early 30s, had just come off a subpar Finals against Detroit and had been battling leg injuries. The Lakers declined and he demanded to be traded. HE demanded to be traded.
Yet Bryant ran him out of town.

In no way do I think Bryant is an innocent angel in all this. I'd be an idiot to think that (and trust me, I'm an idiot for a lot of other reasons). It just grates at me that O'Neal has done all this and he still is seen as this ultimate team guy who's never done anything wrong.

I'd love nothing more than to see Shaq at the FT line in Game 7, the Heat down by one and he bricks both. I would love to hear his excuses then, and the excuses everyone lays out for him.

I never thought I'd say this, but I really hope Mark Cuban gets a ring this year. [/rant]

 

[broadway joe]

Should be a good series, but let's get one thing straight . . . Suns collapsed in the second half because they were exhausted.
Mavs' defense is much improved . . . but Heat's remains better.

What, after 100+ games the Suns suddenly became so exhausted in the second half that they just collapsed on their own? C'mon. Dallas isn't a great defensive team by any means, but they're decent enough now, and they deserve some credit for shutting Phoenix down. They'll beat the Heat because there's no good way for the Heat to attack them. Miami doesn't want to run too much because that makes Shaq a non-factor. But if it becomes a halfcourt game Nowitzki will kill them with that high pick-and-roll. Even the Spurs couldn't stop that, and they're a better defensive team than Miami. Wade is great, but unless Shaq turns the clock back about 5 or 6 years and starts putting up 40/20s consistently, I don't see how Miami can win the series.

 

[DyePack]

Should be a good series, but let's get one thing straight . . . Suns collapsed in the second half because they were exhausted.
Mavs' defense is much improved . . . but Heat's remains better.

What, after 100+ games the Suns suddenly became so exhausted in the second half that they just collapsed on their own? C'mon. Dallas isn't a great defensive team by any means, but they're decent enough now, and they deserve some credit for shutting Phoenix down. They'll beat the Heat because there's no good way for the Heat to attack them. Miami doesn't want to run too much because that makes Shaq a non-factor. But if it becomes a halfcourt game Nowitzki will kill them with that high pick-and-roll. Even the Spurs couldn't stop that, and they're a better defensive team than Miami. Wade is great, but unless Shaq turns the clock back about 5 or 6 years and starts putting up 40/20s consistently, I don't see how Miami can win the series.

If Avery has any sense, Dallas will run them into the ground.

It'll be interesting to see how the Mavs try to guard Shaq and Wade, though.

 

[beefncheddar]

As long as Alonzo Mourning doesn't win, I don't care what happens.

And I've got $100 for the first guy that lands a nice hard shot to his one good kidney.

 

[spnited]

As long as Alonzo Mourning doesn't win, I don't care what happens.

And I've got $100 for the first guy that lands a nice hard shot to his one good kidney.

Would I love to see that mustard! I was hoping someone on the Nets had the balls to do that after the way Zo forked them over, but no, he's still their friend.

But the really, really bad thing about this series is either Cuban or Riley is going to win.

 

[BigDog]

As long as Alonzo Mourning doesn't win, I don't care what happens.

And I've got $100 for the first guy that lands a nice hard shot to his one good kidney.

Classy. Can't believe it, but you've got the early lead over a certain poster from points north in BigDog Olbermann's "Worst Person in the SportsJournalists.com World" award.

Zo's not that bad, dude.

 

[Blitz]

Should be a good series. . . but Heat's remains better.

What, after 100+ games the Suns suddenly became so exhausted in the second half that they just collapsed on their own? C'mon. Dallas isn't a great defensive team by any means, but they're decent enough now, and they deserve some credit for shutting Phoenix down.

If Avery has any sense, Dallas will run them into the ground.

Avery's already made one brilliant move. He's sat Dampier on his ass for four of the past five games and gone with Diop at center.
Dampier's role will be re-evaluated after the season, it seems.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

It's going to be very important to keep repeating, over and over, "Owners are not interesting."
Otherwise, the blight that is Mark (The Smartest Man In The World) Cuban could overwhelm the entire event.